Experts: Removing Phenylephrine Drugs Would Upset Wider Supply Chain
February 9, 2024
Morning Briefing
Though phenylephrine has been found ineffective as a decongestant, if the FDA pulled drugs from pharmacy shelves, it would disrupt a wave of supply chain problems, experts warn. In other news, CARB-X is funding development of a rapid test for gonorrhea.
Study Finds High-Dose Naloxone Didn’t Reduce Overdose Deaths
February 9, 2024
Morning Briefing
The new higher-dose nasal spray did not save more lives than the regular dose, and it drove up side effects. Separately, reports say opioid overdoses are rising among teens, but inpatient care remains rare. Also in the news: CDC data show how teens use drugs to combat stress.
Cost Forces A Majority Of Californians To Delay Or Avoid Medical Care
February 9, 2024
Morning Briefing
Meanwhile, the Covered California sign-up window is set to close at midnight tonight. In other health news from across the U.S., Virginia Democrats push to expand state-funded health insurance to undocumented children; a bill would allow Florida hospital districts to convert to nonprofits; and more.
More Known About Aggressive Fungus In Deadly Meningitis Outbreak
February 9, 2024
Morning Briefing
In a report in NEJM, researchers detailed how the fungus attacked the base of the brains of patients exposed at medical clinics in Mexico. Twelve people died in the outbreak last year.
Morning Briefing for Friday, February 9, 2024
February 9, 2024
Morning Briefing
High drug prices, aging, gun violence, abortion laws, organ transplants, drug overdoses, and more are in the news. Plus, your weekend reads.
Pharmaceutical Execs Grilled By Senators About High US Drug Prices
February 9, 2024
Morning Briefing
The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, led by Sen. Bernie Sanders, held a hearing Thursday on the cost of prescriptions drugs. The CEOs for Bristol Myers Squibb, Johnson & Johnson, and Merck faced questions on pricing practices and why medicines cost more in the U.S. than other countries.
Biden Pushes Back On Special Counsel Report Questioning His Cognition
February 9, 2024
Morning Briefing
“My memory’s fine,” President Joe Biden said at a press conference Thursday night, strongly defending his age and cognitive abilities in response to a special counsel report on the president’s handling of classified documents. The document cited several examples when Biden couldn’t recall key dates.
Democrats Push Numerous Gun-Control Bills In Virginia
February 9, 2024
Morning Briefing
The Washington Post reports on a “cascade” of gun-control bills passing through the Virginia General Assembly, although they face an uncertain reception with the Republican governor. Separately, the Biden administration asked the Supreme Court to overturn a rule barring “ghost gun” limits.
First Edition: Feb. 9, 2024
February 9, 2024
Morning Briefing
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Do We Simply Not Care About Old People?
By Judith Graham
Illustration by Oona Zenda
February 9, 2024
KFF Health News Original
Recently, thousands of older Americans have been dying weekly of covid. But most Americans aren’t wearing masks in public, a move that could prevent infections. Many at-risk seniors aren’t getting antiviral therapies, and older adults in nursing homes aren’t getting vaccines. Why?
Longer Looks: Interesting Reads You Might Have Missed
February 8, 2024
Morning Briefing
Each week, KFF Health News finds longer stories for you to enjoy. This week’s selections include stories on mental health, “magic” mushrooms, nursing homes, surrogacy, and more.
KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': To End School Shootings, Activists Consider a New Culprit: Parents
February 8, 2024
Podcast
For the first time, a jury has convicted a parent of a school shooter of charges related to the child’s crime, finding a mother in Michigan guilty of involuntary manslaughter and possibly opening a new legal avenue for gun control advocates. Meanwhile, as the Supreme Court prepares to hear a case challenging the FDA’s approval of the abortion drug mifepristone, a medical publisher has retracted some of the journal studies that lower-court judges relied on in their decisions. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet, and Rachana Pradhan of KFF Health News join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Plus, for “extra credit,” the panelists suggest health policy stories they read this week that they think you should read, too.
Public Health Resources Lagging Behind Rising Tuberculosis Wave
February 8, 2024
Morning Briefing
Stateline reports on public health experts’ warnings that awareness of rising TB is lagging and that state and local health services lack resources to keep up with prevention and control. Meanwhile, the CDC is checking protocols on a cruise ship where more than 100 people had gastrointestinal illnesses.
Research Roundup: Covid Vaccine In Pregnancy; Infection Reduction; Insomnia; Acute Flaccid Myelitis
February 8, 2024
Morning Briefing
Each week, KFF Health News compiles a selection of recently released health policy studies and briefs.
Viewpoints: Is Importing Canadian Drugs Risky?; Accepting Vaccine Hesitancy Is A Slippery Slope
February 8, 2024
Morning Briefing
Editorial writers tackle counterfeit drugs, parental vaccine hesitancy, HIV, and more.
DEA Won’t Strip Licenses From Large Drug Distributor Over Opioids History
February 8, 2024
Morning Briefing
Reversing an earlier order, the Drug Enforcement Administration will allowing Morris & Dickson Co to stay in business. As part of a settlement, the drug distributor agreed to admit wrongdoing over its failure to properly monitor opioid shipments and will forfeit $19 million.
House Passes Bill Barring Use Of QALY Metric In Federal Health Programs
February 8, 2024
Morning Briefing
The legislation would ban the use of quality-adjusted life years indexes when valuing medicines for federal health programs such as Medicaid, Medicare Advantage, and VA Health Care.
160,000 More Americans Died Of Covid Than Have Been Counted: Study
February 8, 2024
Morning Briefing
A new study says 162,886 excess pandemic-era deaths in the U.S. that were blamed on other reasons, like natural causes, were actually due to covid. This means covid killed more people in the U.S. than had been thought. Also: Scientists find 1 in 4 with covid go on to get long covid symptoms.
Missouri Republicans Block Abortion Exceptions For Rape, Incest
February 8, 2024
Morning Briefing
An effort led by Democratic lawmakers in Missouri had targeted the state’s strict anti-abortion laws to allow exemptions for rape or incest. Senate Republicans decided allowing these victims to have abortions wasn’t a good idea. Meanwhile, thousands of people attended events to push for an abortion ballot question in the state.
Another Hospital In Minnesota Ends Baby Deliveries
February 8, 2024
Morning Briefing
The Mayo Clinic Health System’s New Prague hospital is the latest facility in the state to stop delivering babies. Minnesota Public Radio reports on how midwives are filling the void in birthing services as hospitals move deliveries to larger, centralized hospitals.